FR3060512A1 - RETRACTABLE AERODYNAMIC DEFLECTOR - Google Patents

Abstract

Aerodynamic deflector disposed at the front of a motor vehicle (3), characterized in that it comprises a deformable skin (4) whose upper edge is made integral with the lower part of a front bumper (31), and a lower edge of which is connected to a front edge (21) of a rigid mobile arch under the action of a maneuvering device between a low position in which the deformable skin (4) is deployed so as to deflect the flow air coming under the vehicle when the vehicle is moving, and a high position in which the deformable skin (4) is folded into a housing disposed at the rear of the bumper.

Description

060 512

63000 ® FRENCH REPUBLIC

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY © Publication number:

(to be used only for reproduction orders) (© National registration number

COURBEVOIE © Int Cl ⁸ : B 62 D 35/00 (2017.01)

PATENT INVENTION APPLICATION

A1

(© Date of filing: 21.12.16. © Applicant (s): COMPAGNIE PLASTIC OMNIUM (© Priority: Public limited company - FR. @ Inventor (s): ANDRE GERALD and MAZUE BER- TRAND. (43) Date of public availability of the request: 22.06.18 Bulletin 18/25. (© List of documents cited in the report of preliminary research: Refer to end of present booklet (© References to other national documents ® Holder (s): COMPAGNIE PLASTIC OMNIUM related: Anonimous society. ©) Extension request (s): (© Agent (s): LLR.

P4) RETRACTABLE AERODYNAMIC DEFLECTOR

FR 3 060 512 - A1 _ Aerodynamic deflector disposed at the front of a motor vehicle (3) characterized in that it comprises a deformable skin (4), an upper edge of which is made integral with the lower part of a screen - front shocks (31), and a lower edge of which is connected to a front edge (21) of a rigid roll bar movable under the action of an operating device between a low position in which the deformable skin (4) is deployed so as to deflect the air flow present under the vehicle when the vehicle is moving, and a high position in which the deformable skin (4) is folded in a housing disposed at the rear of the bumper.

The invention relates to the field of motor vehicles, and more particularly the aerodynamic devices arranged at the front of a vehicle to reduce the aerodynamic drag generated by this vehicle traveling at high speed.

One of the means used for a long time to improve the aerodynamic efficiency of vehicles consists in reducing the space under the road between the road and the vehicle.

The ground clearance of the vehicles having to remain at a height compatible with the requirements of use, it is possible to obtain a satisfactory result by lowering an aerodynamic barrier acting as a deflector at the front part of the vehicle, and preferably arranged in front of the wheels.

This deflector can therefore be lowered or raised depending on the driving conditions such as the vehicle speed or the road condition.

Publication US7775582 provides an example of this type of device.

However, other constraints must also be taken into account for the implementation of these deflectors. Examples include the size of the device in the raised position in a reduced space located at the front of the vehicle, the mechanical resistance to oppose the air pressure when the vehicle is traveling at high speed, the protection of the device and the deformability of the device in the event of a frontal impact, the possibility of folding the device very quickly when an unforeseen obstacle arises on the road, or the ease of repair in the event of degradation.

An additional constraint comes finally from the style requirements related to this part of the vehicle, in which the aerodynamic device is visible from the outside and is an integral part of the bodywork. The aerodynamic deflector therefore has curved shapes intended to be placed in continuity of shape and style with the lower part of the bumper.

Many publications have proposed to solve all or part of the constraints mentioned above.

Thus the publication US 7775582 already cited, offers a rigid cable actuated system, unwieldy, and relatively bulky. This device also constitutes an obstacle to the deformability of the front part in the event of a frontal impact.

The publication US8677817 describes an inflatable aerodynamic deflector having a reduced size and total deformability. However, this device has low resistance to air pressure when the vehicle is traveling at high speed, and requires the installation of a compressed air source inside the vehicle.

The device described in publication US 8,702,152 is in the form of an aerodynamic deflector movable vertically. This device presents difficulties in protecting against the vagaries of the road and cannot be disengaged easily. In addition, in the event of a frontal impact, its rigid structure placed far in front easily deteriorates and counteracts the deformation of the front unit towards the rear of the vehicle. Similar devices are proposed by the publications US4951994 or US7686382.

The publication US7686383 proposes to deploy a plurality of curved flaps and arranged in the extension of the lower part of the bumper. This device has the advantage of conforming to the curvature of the bumper, but is accompanied by a complexity of implementation which is hardly compatible with the robustness and cost requirements imposed on car manufacturers.

The publication US8887845, plans to separate the aerodynamic barrier into three separate components pivoting on flexible and curved axes. This results in significant engine forces to compensate for transmission losses.

The device described in the publication US4659130 remains bulky and presents difficulties to fold quickly in the event of encountering an obstacle placed on the roadway.

Although all these devices make it possible to reduce the amount of air passing under the vehicle, it is observed that none of them makes it possible to resolve all the constraints mentioned above.

The aerodynamic deflector according to the invention is characterized in that it comprises a deformable skin of which an upper selvedge is made integral with the lower part of a front bumper, and whose lower selvedge is connected to an edge front of a rigid roll bar mobile under the action of an operating device between a low position in which the deformable skin is deployed so as to deflect the air flow occurring under the vehicle when the vehicle is moving, and a position high in which the deformable skin is folded in a housing disposed at the rear of the bumper.

Due to the flexibility and the ability of the skin to deform, skin becomes possible to fold or deploy the skin by overcoming the constraints related to the pronounced curve of the lower profile of the bumper, and to place the deformable skin in front of the vehicle wheels over the entire width of the bumper. The deformable skin therefore comes in shape continuity with the general shape of the front bumper and follows the lower curve of the bumper from one end to the other of the bumper.

This advantage also allows, as will be seen later, to provide a space-saving and light operating device allowing the deformable skin to fold back on itself and to undergo controlled deformations, to enter the housing provided for this purpose at the rear of the bumper, or to deploy completely to deflect the air flow passing under the vehicle.

The device according to the invention can also comprise, in isolation, or in combination, the following characteristics:

In the low position, the deformable skin extends laterally in front of each of the front wheels of the vehicle.

In the low position, the lower edge of the deformable skin is arranged at a substantially constant height from the ground.

The deformable skin is in continuity of shape with the front bumper below which it extends when the rigid roll bar is placed in the low position.

The front edge of the rigid hoop on which the lower edge of the deformable skin is attached has a curve.

The rigid hoop is formed from a plastic or composite material.

The operating device includes:

one or more front connecting rods, each of the front connecting rods having a first end connected to the chassis of the vehicle by a first articulation with an axis dd ′, and a second end connected to the rigid arch by a second articulation with an axis cc ′, one or more rear connecting rods, each of the rear connecting rods having a first end connected to the chassis of the vehicle by a first articulation with axis aa ', and a second end connected to the rigid arch by a second articulation with axis dd', and the axes aa ', bb', cc 'and dd' are parallel to each other and to the transverse direction OY of the vehicle, and arranged so that the projections of said axes on a plane perpendicular to said axes define the four vertices of a parallelogram deformable rectangle; the axis aa ’is offset from the axis dd’, in the longitudinal direction towards the rear of the vehicle, by a distance d not zero.

The operating device is arranged so that the rigid roll bar moves towards the rear of the vehicle from the low position to the high position.

One of the two axes by which the first ends of the connecting rods are connected to the chassis is an actuation shaft mounted on two bearings fixed on the chassis, and driven in rotation by an actuator.

The first ends of the rear connecting rods are fixed on the actuation shaft with axis aa ’.

The actuator includes a torque limiter, the threshold of which is adjusted so that, when the vehicle is in motion and the rigid roll bar hits an obstacle, the actuator is disengaged and the rigid roll bar is released from the low position towards the high position under the effect of the momentum acquired during the impact by said rigid hoop.

A return rod parallel to a plane passing through the axes aa 'and dd', is connected by one of its ends to a front rod, or to a rear rod, by an articulation of axis ff 'parallel to the axis aa ', and by the other of its ends to a secondary driving rod by an articulation of axis ee' parallel to the axis aa ', said secondary driving rod being parallel to the front rod, or to the rear rod, and comprising another end fixed on the actuation shaft.

The operating device comprises two rear connecting rods each disposed near the two lateral ends of said rigid hoop.

The operating device comprises a single front connecting rod disposed substantially in the center of said rigid hoop.

The invention will be better understood on reading the appended figures, which are provided by way of examples and have no limiting character, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic perspective representation of the front of a vehicle.

Figure 2 is a schematic perspective representation of the front of a vehicle in which the aerodynamic deflector is deployed.

Figure 3 is a schematic perspective representation of the front of a vehicle in which the operating device is visible.

Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view of the operating device. Figure 5 is a schematic side view of the operating device in the high position.

Figure 6 is a schematic bottom view of the operating device in the high position.

Figure 7 is a schematic perspective view of the actuator shaft and the actuator of the operating device.

Figure 1 shows a partial view of the front of a vehicle 3 having a front bumper 31. This bumper is made integral with the vehicle chassis by fasteners (not shown). The aerodynamic deflector is in the high position and remains invisible from outside the vehicle.

In what follows, by longitudinal direction is meant the direction X'OX going from the rear towards the front of the vehicle, by transverse direction, the direction Y'OY parallel to the axis of the wheels, and by vertical direction, the direction Z'OZ perpendicular to the plane on which the vehicle is moving.

Figure 2 shows the same vehicle front 3 in which the deformable skin 4 is deployed in the low position. The deformable skin 4 extends over the entire front of the vehicle and reduces the air flow occurring on the front part and passing under the bumper when the vehicle is traveling at high speed. Note that the deformable skin 4 is also placed partially in front of the front wheels.

The deformable skin 4 is connected by its upper selvedge 40 to the lower edge of the front bumper 31, and by its lower selvedge 41 to a rigid hoop 2, visible in FIG. 3 in which the deformable skin 4 has been removed . The deformable skin 4 is in shape continuity with the front bumper 31, of which it follows the curve of the lower edge. For the same reasons, the front edge of the rigid hoop 2 also has a curve similar to that of the lower part of the bumper. .

In this low position, the lower edge 41 of the deformable skin and the rigid hoop 2 are positioned at a relatively constant height from the ground.

The operating device 1 ensuring the deployment or re-entry of the deformable skin serving as support for the present description is shown in detail in Figure 4. In this figure, the rigid hoop 2 is arranged in the corresponding lower position in the case where the deformable skin 4 (not visible) is deployed.

The rigid hoop 2 has a front edge 21 on which is fixed the lower edge 41 of the deformable skin 4.

Skin For the purpose of impact resistance, vibrational rigidity and lightness, the rigid hoop 2 can advantageously be made from a composite or thermoplastic material.

The rigid hoop 2 is connected to the chassis of the vehicle by two rear connecting rods 11 and 12 and by a front connecting rod 13.

The front link 13 has a first end connected to the chassis of the vehicle by a first articulation 130 of axis dd ’, and a second end connected to the rigid arch by a second articulation 131 of axis cc’.

The rear connecting rods 11 and 12 have a first end connected to the chassis of the vehicle by a first articulation, respectively 110 and 120, of axis aa ', and a second end connected to the rigid arch 2 by a second articulation, respectively 111 and 121, of axis dd '. The second articulations of the rear and front connecting rods are attached to the rigid hoop 2 by flanges, respectively 112, 122 and 132.

The axes aa ', bb', cc 'and dd' are parallel to each other and to the transverse direction OY of the vehicle, and arranged so that the projections A, B, C, D, of the axes aa ', bb ', cc' and dd 'on a plane P, perpendicular to said axes, define the four vertices of a deformable rectangle parallelogram. The axis aa ’is distant from the axis dd’, in the longitudinal direction towards the rear of the vehicle, by a constant distance d not zero equal to the constant distance between the axes bb ’and cc’. The constant distance between axes aa 'and bb' or between axes cc 'and dd' is equal to h.

The number of front connecting rods and rear connecting rods is not limited to that which is the subject of this description. Also, it is quite possible to envisage multiple combinations in which there is a single rear rod and a single front rod, or a single rear rod and two front rods or, to ensure better rigidity, two rear rods and two front connecting rods. However, because of the pronounced curve of the rigid arch 2, the front connecting rods are preferably positioned near the center of the rigid arch, defined here as the line of intersection of the longitudinal plane of symmetry OXZ of the vehicle with the rigid arch, and arranged equidistant from the two lateral ends of the rigid arch.

In all these configurations, the first ends of the rear connecting rods are connected to the chassis of the vehicle by first articulations, of axis aa ', and the second ends of the rear connecting rods are connected to the rigid arch 2 by second articulations of axis dd '. Likewise, the first ends of the front connecting rods are connected to the chassis of the vehicle by first articulations, of axis dd ', and the second ends of the front connecting rods are connected to the rigid arch 2 by second articulations of axis cc' .

In the device serving as a support for the present description, the first ends of the rear connecting rods 11 and 12 are fixed on an actuation shaft 10 of axis aa 'connected to the chassis by bearings 100 and 101, visible in the figures 6 and 7, and which act as the first articulation. The actuation shaft 10 is rotated by an actuator 5 disposed at one of the lateral ends of said actuation shaft 10.

This arrangement, in which the actuation shaft is placed as far back as possible, allows better deformation of the front part of the vehicle in the event of a frontal impact. In addition, the actuator and the rear connecting rods, which have a high replacement cost, are better protected by being located as far as possible from the impact zones on the bumper.

The first articulation 130 of the front connecting rod is in free rotation about the axis dd ', and the second articulations, respectively 111, 121, 131 connecting the rear connecting rods and the front connecting rod to the rigid arch are in rotation free around their respective axes, bb 'and cc'.

By performing a quarter turn rotation about the axis aa 'the actuating shaft 10 rotates the rear connecting rods 11 and 12 and passes the rigid arch from the low position in which the connecting rods are substantially oriented substantially along the vertical axis in the upper position in which the connecting rods are oriented substantially along the longitudinal axis. During this movement, the rigid roll bar translates from the front to the rear of the vehicle.

The front connecting rod is driven in movement by the displacement of the rear connecting rods and the rigid hoop. The parallelogram formed by the front and rear connecting rods deforms around the fixed axes aa ’and dd’. And the points B and C move in the plane P in B ’and C’.

It is observed that in this movement, the plane formed by the axes bb ’and cc’ and which can be assimilated to the plane of the rigid hoop 2, remains substantially parallel to the plane formed by the ground on which the vehicle travels.

In the device serving to support the description of the invention, the actuation shaft is a rotary shaft of axis aa ’causing the rear connecting rods 11 to rotate and

12. It will be noted that it is also possible to place the actuation shaft on the axis dd ’to drive the front connecting rod. Or to rotate one of the connecting rods using a secondary shaft moving along a substantially linear path.

In all the arrangements mentioned above, care will be taken to ensure that the actuator, or more generally the means for driving the front and rear rods in rotation, are disengageable under the effect of an abnormal mechanical stress. . Indeed, when the vehicle is in motion and the rigid roll bar is placed in the low position, the vehicle's ground clearance is lowered, and the rigid roll bar can strike an obstacle placed on the roadway. It is then necessary to preserve the integrity of the rigid hoop, of the deformable skin, and more generally of the connecting rods forming the operating device.

To this end, the actuator 5 includes a torque limiter whose threshold is adjusted so that, when the vehicle is in motion and the rigid roll bar hits an obstacle, the actuator is disengaged and the roll bar rigid emerges from the low position towards the high position by moving from front to rear, under the effect of the amount of movement acquired during the impact between said rigid hoop 2 and said obstacle. And the lighter the rigid arch, the lower the amount of movement stored and the less degradation due to the impact between the rigid arch and the obstacle.

Advantageously, the maneuvering device may include additional motorization elements making it possible to transmit the engine force generated by the actuating axis 10 to the front connecting rod 13 so as to avoid transmitting excessive forces in the connecting rods .

The operating device 1 comprises a return rod 15 parallel to a plane passing through the axes aa 'and dd', which is connected by one of its ends to the front rod 13 by an articulation 150 of axis ff ' parallel to the axis aa ', and by the other of its ends to a secondary driving rod 14 by an articulation 141 of axis ee' parallel to the axis aa '. The secondary drive rod 14 is parallel to the front rod 13, and has another end 140 fixed to the actuation shaft 10.

The projection of the axes aa ’, ee’, ff ’and dd’ on the plane P forms the four vertices A, E, F, D of a deformable parallelogram. The constant distance between the axis aa 'and ee' or between the axis dd 'and the axis ff' is equal to h ', and the constant distance between the axes ee' and ff ', which is the same as that which separates the axes aa 'and dd', is equal to d. When the operating device is in motion, points E and F move to E ’and F’.

The secondary drive rod 14 and the return rod 15 thus transmit part of the torque from the actuating shaft 10 to the front rod 13, so as to reduce the transmission forces in the joints placed between the rear connecting rods 111 and 121 and the rigid arch 2, and avoid irreversible deformation of the parallelogram formed by the axes aa ', bb', cc 'and dd'.

It goes without saying that, when the actuation shaft is disposed on the axis dd 'on which are attached the first articulations of the front connecting rods, the secondary drive rod is then connected to the front actuation shaft and the connecting rod to a rear rod.

Figure 5 is a side view of the aerodynamic deflector in the folded up position. The deformable skin 4 is attached by its upper selvedge 40 to the bumper 31 and by its lower selvedge 41 to the rigid hoop 2. The front connecting rod 13 is folded in a housing 33 placed under the front bumper 31.

Figure 6 is a bottom view of the operating device when the rigid hoop 2 is placed in the high position corresponding to Figure 5.

The rear connecting rods 11 and 12 and the front connecting rod are arranged in the high position.

Figure 7 shows the actuation shaft 10 and the actuator 5. It will be observed that the actuator is disposed at one of the lateral ends of the actuation shaft so as to reduce the risk of damage by frontal impact.

The aerodynamic deflector thus configured makes it possible to meet most of the design constraints mentioned in the introduction to this description.

In particular, it offers sufficient resistance to the aerodynamic force exerted on the skin in the deployed low position, a possibility of quickly folding back in the event of encountering an unforeseen obstacle placed on the roadway, a reduced bulk in position. high folded, good protection and good ability to be repaired in the event of a frontal impact. Finally, the deformable skin can have an external profile in perfect continuity of shape and style with the vehicle bumper so that it can be deployed over a substantially constant height over the entire width of the vehicle, and in particular in front of the wheels.

NOMENCLATURE

Operating device.

Actuation tree.

100, 101 Bearings of the drive shaft 10 mounted on the vehicle chassis.

Rear connecting rod.

110 First articulation of the connecting rod 11; connection of the rear link 11 on the actuation shaft 10.

111 Second articulation between the rear link 11 and the rigid arch 2.

112 Attachment plate for the second articulation of the rear connecting rod 12 on the rigid roll bar

2.

Rear connecting rod.

120 First articulation of the connecting rod 12; connecting the rear link 12 to the actuation shaft 10.

121 Second articulation between the rear link 12 and the rigid arch 2.

122 Attachment plate for the second articulation of the connecting rod 12 on the rigid arch 2.

Connecting rod before.

130 First articulation between the front link and the chassis.

131 Second articulation between the front link 13 and the rigid arch 2.

132 Attachment sole of the second articulation of the connecting rod 13 on the rigid arch 2.

Secondary driving rod.

140 Connection of the secondary drive rod 14 on the actuation shaft 10.

141 Joint between the secondary drive rod 14 and the return rod 15.

Return rod.

150 Joint between the return rod 15 and the front rod 13.

aa Ax Axis of the drive shaft.

bb ’Axis of joints 111 and 121.

cc ’Axis of the joint 131.

dd Axis of the joint 130.

ee ’Axis of articulation 141.

ff 'Axis of the joint 150.

h Distance between axes aa ’and bb’; equal to the distance between the axes cc ’and dd’.

h ’Distance between axes aa’ and ee ’; equal to the distance between the axes dd ’and ff’.

d Distance between axes bb ’and cc’; equal to the distance between the axes aa ’and dd’.

Rigid hoop.

Front edge of the rigid hoop on which the lower selvedge 41 of the deformable skin 4 is attached.

Rear edge of the rigid hoop

Vehicle.

31 Bumpers.

Front wheels.

Housing placed under the bumper.

Deformable skin.

Upper edge of deformable skin.

41 Lower edge of deformable skin.

Actuator.

Claims (14)

1. Aerodynamic deflector disposed at the front of a motor vehicle (3) characterized in that it comprises a deformable skin (4) of which an upper selvedge (40) is made integral with the lower part of a bumper front (31), and a lower edge (41) of which is connected to a front edge (21) of a rigid hoop (2) movable under the action of an operating device (1) between a low position in which the deformable skin (4) is deployed so as to deflect the air flow present under the vehicle when the vehicle is moving, and a high position in which the deformable skin (4) is folded in a housing (33) disposed at the rear of the bumper. 2. Aerodynamic deflector according to claim 1, wherein, in the low and deployed position, the deformable skin (4) extends laterally in front of each of the front wheels (32) of the vehicle. 3. Aerodynamic deflector according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein in the lower position the lower edge (41) of the deformable skin (4) is disposed at a substantially constant height from the ground. 4. Aerodynamic deflector according to any one of claims 1 to 3, in which the deformable skin (4) is in shape continuity with the front bumper (31), below which it extends when the rigid roll bar (2) is arranged in the low position. 5. Aerodynamic deflector according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the front edge (21) of the rigid hoop (2) on which is attached the lower edge (41) of the deformable skin (4) has a curved. 6. Aerodynamic deflector according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the rigid hoop (2) is formed from a plastic or composite material. 7. Aerodynamic deflector according to any one of claims 1 to 6, in which the operating device comprises: one or more front connecting rods (13), each of the front connecting rods (13) having a first end connected to the chassis of the vehicle by a first articulation (130) of axis dd ', and a second end connected to the rigid arch by a second (131) articulation of axis cc ', one or more rear connecting rods (11, 12), each of the rear connecting rods (11, 12) having a first end connected to the chassis of the vehicle by a first articulation (110, 120) d 'axis aa', and a second end connected to the rigid arch (2) by a second articulation (111, 121) of axis dd ', and in which: the axes aa ', bb', cc 'and dd' are parallel to each other and to the transverse direction (OY) of the vehicle, and arranged so that the projections of said axes (aa ', bb', cc ', dd') on a plane (P) perpendicular to said axes define the four vertices (A, B, C, D) of a deformable rectangle parallelogram. the axis aa ’is offset from the axis dd’, in the longitudinal direction towards the rear of the vehicle, by a distance d not zero. 8. Aerodynamic deflector according to claim 7, in which the operating device (1) is arranged so that the rigid roll bar (2) moves towards the rear of the vehicle passing from the low position to the high position. 9. Aerodynamic deflector according to claim 7 or claim 8, wherein one of the two axes (aa ', dd') by which the first ends of the connecting rods are connected to the chassis is an actuation shaft (10) mounted on two bearings (100, 101) fixed to the chassis, and driven in rotation by an actuator (5). 10. Aerodynamic deflector according to claim 9, in which the first ends of the rear connecting rods (11, 12) are fixed on an actuation shaft with axis aa ’(10). 11. Aerodynamic deflector according to claim 10, in which the actuator (5) comprises a torque limiter, the threshold of which is adjusted so that, when the vehicle is in motion and the rigid roll bar (2) strikes an obstacle, the actuator is disengaged and the rigid roll bar emerges from the low position towards the high position under the effect of the momentum acquired during the impact by said rigid roll bar. 12. Aerodynamic deflector according to any one of claims 7 to 11, in which a return rod (15) parallel to a plane passing through the axes aa 'and dd', is connected by one of its ends to a front rod ( 13), or to a rear link (11, 12), by an articulation (150) of axis ff 'parallel to the axis aa', and by the other of its ends to a secondary drive rod (14) by an articulation (141) of axis ee 'parallel to the axis aa', said secondary drive rod (14) being parallel to the front rod (13), or to the rear rod (11, 12), and comprising another end (140) fixed on the actuation shaft (10). 13. Aerodynamic deflector according to any one of claims 7 to 12, in which the operating device (1) comprises two rear connecting rods (11, 12) each arranged near the two lateral ends of said rigid hoop (2). 14. Aerodynamic deflector according to any one of claims 7 to 13, in which the operating device (1) comprises a single front link (13) disposed substantially in the center of said rigid hoop (2). 2/3 CN CN Xi> -